


Wrong Place, Wrong Time

by KaelinaLovesLomaris



Series: Whumptober 2019 - FFXV [3]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Hostage Situations, Whump, Whumptober, Whumptober 2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-11
Updated: 2019-12-11
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:15:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21752842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KaelinaLovesLomaris/pseuds/KaelinaLovesLomaris
Summary: Noctis and Gladio find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time, and Noctis is used as a human shield. Gladio is not unaware of the irony of this.Part of my collection of Whumptober 2019 prompts.
Relationships: Gladiolus Amicitia & Noctis Lucis Caelum, Gladiolus Amicitia & Prompto Argentum, Gladiolus Amicitia & Prompto Argentum & Noctis Lucis Caelum, Prompto Argentum & Noctis Lucis Caelum
Series: Whumptober 2019 - FFXV [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1505405
Comments: 6
Kudos: 101





	Wrong Place, Wrong Time

**Author's Note:**

> Day 4 Prompt: Human Shield
> 
> How could I not write Gladio and Noctis for this one?
> 
> Title subject to change.

Gladio had been trained all his life to be Noctis’s Shield. He had known ever since he was barely old enough to understand the concept that he was destined to protect the prince at all costs, even with his life if necessary. He had surrendered to this duty with reluctance but determination as a teenager, when he still viewed Noctis as a spoiled brat undeserving of his loyalty or protection. He had thrown himself into the training for the love of the fight, the thrill of physical exertion and his dad’s praise, and his sense of honor even as he despised the child under his guard.

After Noctis had protected and taken the fall for Gladio’s sister at the cost of the king’s ire, he had earned Gladio’s grudging respect. And once Gladio had given him a chance and looked past the entitled, aloof exterior, he had seen a boy desperate to feel good enough, to appear worthy — and completely terrified of failing. He held himself apart so there were less people he cared about who he could let down.

Oh, there was no mistaking that he was still absolutely a brat, still acted selfishly, or thoughtlessly, more often than not, but when it was something that really mattered, the prince would step up. He had earned Gladio’s loyalty and become someone that Gladio would willingly die for and not regret it, not as part of his duty to the throne and the Lucian bloodline, but as a friend, as a brother. Noctis was someone he could admit, to himself if not to others, that he loved.

His training had prepared him to give his life, to serve as he was needed, to take the hits in Noctis’s place. The scar across his face was testament to his dedication to his destiny. He was prepared to be Noctis’s Shield. What he was _not_ prepared for was for Noctis to be used as a shield against _him_.

As far as he could tell, it was a simple case of “wrong place, wrong time,” though how anyone could be _stupid_ enough to rob a convenience store while the prince and his Shield were on site was beyond him. But nothing about the hostage situation seemed planned, so Gladio could rule out assassination attempt. It didn’t make the gun lodged under Noctis’s chin any less lethal.

“If anyone so much as _twitches_ , I’m gonna blow his jaw off.” The man behind Noctis was much smaller than Gladio, short enough that Noct made a decent shield, but still strong enough that Noctis couldn’t easily break free of the arm wrapped tightly around his waist and pinning his arms to his sides. Smart, really, as that kept Noctis from being able to do much of anything even if he managed to manifest a weapon without provoking the man, though the sight made Gladio’s blood boil. If his fingers left bruises on Noctis’s arm, Gladio was going to hunt him down and kill him.

“Let him go,” Gladio growled. His hands itched for his sword, and he felt the stirring of borrowed magic as Noctis’s Armiger prepared to fulfill that desire, but he forced it down. Drawing a sword on the man would certainly count as “twitching,” and he wasn’t about to risk his prince’s life that way. He wished he had the words to convince the man to release Noctis, but diplomacy and negotiation were not things Gladio was trained for. That was all Ignis, but he had elected to stay behind at Noct’s apartment to finish up some paperwork. Of course, it was part of Noctis’s education as well, but tact was not a word often found in his vocabulary even in the best of times, and the stress of this situation would do his minimal diplomatic skills no favors.

Gladio thanked the Six that Prompto had forgotten his wallet in the car and had gone back for it just before everything went down. Neither Gladio nor Noctis needed the extra distraction right now, and he wasn’t sure that the kid wouldn’t do something stupid to try and save his friend.

“Not until I’m far enough away from here that I won’t be caught.” He tugged Noctis closer against himself, and Gladio snarled in response to the fear in Noctis’s eyes.

“Please, I can give you twice as much as you just stole from this store if you let me go,” Noctis pleaded, speaking through clenched teeth to avoid pressing his jaw any harder against the barrel of the gun.

The man laughed sharply. “I’m not falling for that.” He took a step backwards, jerking Noctis back with him. Noctis stumbled, and Gladio instinctively stepped towards him. He froze as the man’s finger tightened on the trigger.

“Call off your guard dog or I’ll shoot you right now.”

Noctis closed his eyes, breaking eye contact with Gladio for the first time since the man had grabbed him. “Stand down, Gladdy,” he whispered.

Gladio had to clamp his teeth together to prevent himself from protesting. He was sworn to protect Noctis, but he was also sworn to obey him. Of course no one would call treason if he disobeyed in order to save the prince’s life, but in this situation, backing down would probably be the safest course of action for his charge.

He nodded his assent and watched in helpless fury as the man dragged Noctis out the door with him. He tried to hold Noctis’s eyes, to communicate the need to stay calm even though Gladio couldn’t, to assure him that no matter what, he would come for him. And he would, as soon as they were out of sight. He would track them down and take the man out before he could hurt Noctis. For now, he held himself perfectly still, not wanting to give the man any reason to pull the trigger. There were phoenix downs in the Armiger, but they wouldn’t do much good for a bullet to the head, and if Noctis was dead, Gladio wouldn’t be able to access the Armiger anyways. He should get into the habit of carrying at least one physically on his person, as annoying as it would be. Ignis probably already did.

They were barely one step out the door when Noctis tensed. Gladio flexed his hands in preparation to pull his sword out of the Armiger if necessary. He knew he couldn’t move fast enough, but Astrals take him if he would allow someone to survive killing Noctis for more than a few moments.

The gunshot and the spray of blood across Noct’s face was enough to stop Gladio’s heart for the second it took him to realize that the blood wasn’t Noctis’s.

He was moving before the man even started to fall, out the door before the gasp left Noctis’s lips. He rushed forward and caught Noctis as he stumbled under the dead weight of the man’s body still clinging to him. Gladio shoved it away as he pulled Noctis into his arms, pretending he missed the prince’s flinch at the sound of the body hitting the pavement.

Gladio met Prompto’s eyes from where he stood on the other side of the car, gun still held tightly in his hands. Gladio gave him a short nod of approval before turning his attention back to Noctis.

He was shaking, leaning heavily into Gladio, and as much as he wanted to let him sit down and rest, he knew he needed to get him somewhere safe first. Gladio clutched him tighter, running a hand through his hair, heedless of the blood he was smearing through it.

“Hey, you’re okay. I’ve got you. Are you hurt?”

Noctis shook his head against Gladio’s shoulder, and he forced himself to relax as much as he could, though he knew he wouldn’t be completely calm until he had removed Noctis from the scene and he and Ignis had checked him over. He would have to contact his dad and Cor, have them look into the man to make sure this whole thing hadn’t been a well-masked assassination attempt. King Regis would probably increase security around Noctis for a while and restrict his movements outside of the Citadel, which would aggravate Noctis and make life difficult for himself and Ignis as they dealt with a grumpy prince, but that was the least of his concerns at the moment.

Deeming Noctis steady enough to walk, Gladio gently guided him towards the car. Prompto rushed to open the front passenger door for him. He hated to let go of him, Gladio liked having Noctis safely tucked under his arm where he could protect him, but Prompto still hadn’t passed his driver’s test.

As soon as he had him settled in the car, he turned to Prompto, catching his arm before he could get into the backseat. Prompto tensed.

“I didn’t know you had completed your Crownsguard training,” Gladio said.

“I haven’t.” Prompto’s face was hard, more serious than Gladio thought he had ever seen it, and entirely unapologetic. Technically what he had done was illegal, discharging a firearm within the Crown City without qualifications was a punishable offence, but Gladio was about ready to recommend him for a royal commendation and he doubted anyone would disagree with him under the circumstances. Gladio released his arm.

“Good man. I’ll put in a word with Cor for you.”

The relief was plain on Prompto’s face. “Thanks, Gladio.”

Gladio nodded in response. It was as close to gratitude he was going to get. It stung, admitting to himself that Prompto had done some of Gladio’s job today. Things might have turned out quite differently had Prompto _not_ been with them. It was not something he was prepared to say out loud, and openly thanking Prompto would require just that.

“You, uh, gonna put that away?” Gladio changed the subject, nodding at the gun Prompto was still clutching. The kid looked down at it in surprise.

“Oh! Yeah, sorry.” He flushed as he dismissed it back to the Armiger with the sound of shattering crystal. “I forgot I was still holding it.”

Noctis must have felt Prompto remove the gun from the Armiger the moment he had been dragged outside. That was most likely the cause of the tension Gladio had reacted to. Noctis’s sensitivity to people drawing on his magic was improving. Gladio made a mental note to test it during their next training session.

“Alright, we should get out of here before the press shows up. I don’t want pictures of Noct shaking and bloody all over the internet. Call Ignis on the way and have him contact the Crownsguard to get a squad down here for damage control.”

The drive back to the apartment was quiet. Gladio kept an eye on Noctis the whole way back, only half listening to Prompto explaining the basics of the situation to Ignis; Gladio would have to fill him in on the details later. Noctis still looked shaken, slumped down in the seat, but his eyes were clear and focused, even if he was just staring intently at the dashboard. True to his word, he didn’t appear to be injured aside from the darkening marks on his arm, and the sight of those made Gladio almost envy Prompto his kill.

He knew it hadn’t hit Prompto yet, that he had _killed_ a man. It was part of Gladio and Ignis’s jobs. They had both killed in defense of Noctis before and they would again, but this was a first for Prompto, and it shouldn’t have happened until after he was an official member of the Crownsguard. Gladio remembered the first time he had killed and the numbness that had followed. The shock and horror hadn’t come until hours later. His dad had been waiting for it, watching him carefully the entire evening, ready to talk him through it once it hit. It was not something he would have wanted to deal with alone.

Gladio thought it might be a good idea to have them all stay the night in Noctis’s apartment.

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi on tumblr at [prince-noctisluciscaelum](https://prince-noctisluciscaelum.tumblr.com)!


End file.
